Iran nuclear: Curbs on uranium enrichment begin

The heavy water plant at Arak is one of several Iranian facilities under the international spotlight

Iran has begun curbing uranium enrichment under a deal which will also see international sanctions eased, says the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear watchdog.

Earlier, centrifuges used for enrichment were disconnected at the Natanz plant, Iranian TV reported.

The move is part of a six-month nuclear deal reached with the US, Russia, China and European powers last November.

The US and the EU have now responded by lifting some sanctions on Iran.

The suspension of sanctions for six months clears the way for Iran to resume export of petrochemicals.

Measures affecting the trade in gold and other precious metals, as well as the car industry, will also be lifted.

US estimates suggest the relief could amount to some $7bn (£4bn).

The easing of EU sanctions is expected to come into effect by the end of Monday.

Analysis

By Mohsen AsgariBBC News, Tehran

After 11 years of talking, both sides are taking action and this makes people very optimistic.

Iranians are waiting to see what will happen after their government receives $4.2bn - out of $100bn - in the next six months. Economically it means nothing, but psychologically it calms the atmosphere, making people more certain about their future.

At the long queue of a bakery in northern Tehran, people watched the most popular morning news bulletin on state TV - Sobh ba Khabar. Iran's head of Atomic Energy Agency Ali Akbar Salehi described how sanctions were going to be halted - even as Iran continued to enrich uranium of up to 5%.

Interestingly enough, people are not bothered by Mr Salehi's technical language. The price of bread is still the same.

However, most of the sanctions against Iran - which began in 2006 - will remain in force.

"This is an important day in our pursuit of ensuring that Iran has an exclusively peaceful nuclear programme," EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton told reporters in Brussels ahead of the EU foreign ministers' meeting.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the agreement would not stop Iran from "realising its intention to develop nuclear weapons".

At an extraordinary parliamentary session on Monday, he warned the deal was a "fast track" to the nuclear bomb.

The session was attended by Canada's visiting Prime Minister Stephen Harper who said his country would not lift sanctions against Iran.

'Melting'

"The sanctions iceberg against Iran is melting," the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, Ali Akbar Salehi, said earlier as he announced a halt to uranium enrichment at the Natanz plant.

The IAEA confirmed that, as of Monday, Iran had ceased enriching uranium above 5% purity at the Natanz and Fordo facilities, according to a confidential report by its inspectors obtained by the BBC.

Iran has also begun diluting its stockpile of uranium enriched to 20%, and agreed the details of how UN inspectors will have increased access to Natanz and Fordo, the report adds.